Chickamauga Timeline
Treaties

The sites mentioned not in the territory of the Chickamaugans are noted due to the ease they provided explorers in reaching the heart of Chickamaugan lands.

TREATIES

The first permanent English settlement in South Carolina was established in 1670.

1680: An English settlement was made on the Mobile River just north of present day Mobile Alabama.

1702: Tired of the poor treatment the Creek Indians received from the British, the Creeks invited the French to occupy the British site and prevent a British monopoly on trade . They did, first building a fortified trading post and then in 1717 Fort Toulouse was built.

In 1684 a treaty or agreement was made between that colony and the Chickmaguan Nation. The nation's leaders who signed were- Corani the Raven (Ka lanu): Sinnawa the Hawk (Tla nuwa): Nellawgitchi (possibly Mankiller): Gorhaleke: Owasta: all of Toxawa: and Canacaught, the Great Conqueror: Gohoma: Caunasaita of Keowa.

In 1690 the first trader established himself among the nation, and took a Native wife. he was Cornelius Doughtery, an Irishman from Virginia.

1691: South Carolina orders an investigation to allegations that some of the colonists "have, without any proclamation of war, fallen upon and murdered several of the tribe."

1693: Some chiefs went to Charleston with presents for the governor and promises of friendship to solicit the colonies' protection against their enemies; the Esaw- Catawbas, Savanna (Shawano), and Congaree, all of that colony, who had made war upon them and sold their tribesmen into slavery. They were told their kinsmen could not be recovered, but that the English wanted their friendship, and that the government would agree that there would be no future ground for such complaint.

1716: After friction erupted between the Cherokees and British, and needing their support to wipe out other Nations, Colonel George Chicken was dispatched to the Chickmaguans. For 200 guns, 50 English soldiers for the campaign, and a supply of ammunition they again agreed to aid the British against other tribes.

1721: A treaty between Governor Nicholson, of South Carolina, and the Cherokees and Creeks. In an attempt to systematize Indian affairs Governor Nicholson invited the Chiefs to come for a conference. 37 towns were represented. The agreements reached were;

1) Trading methods were regulated.

2) A boundary line was established between the Cherokees and the settlement.

3) An agent was appointed to oversee their affairs.

4) Wrosetastow was formally commissioned as the supreme head of the nation.

5) Wrosetastow was given the authority to punish all offenses including murder (important because of the blood law), represent all the Nation's claims to the colonial government.

6)Of course, land cessions.

1730: Due to encroachments by the French and Spanish in the West, Sir Alexander Cumming negotiated a treaty with the Chickamaugans in April, 1730 at Keowee. He was determined to win their allegiance to the British crown. He entered the town house at Keowee fully armed, which was a serious violation of Cherokee custom. Tremendously impressed, however, the Indians abided his orders "to acknowledge his Majesty King George's Sovereignty over them on their Knee," a submission which, Sir Alexander boasted, "they never before made either to God or man." Later he met with delegations from all of the Cherokee towns at Nequassee, where he designated one of their number, Moytoy of Great Tellico, as Emperor of the nation and obtained the submission of the whole tribe to the British king. At this meeting the crown of the Cherokee nation was brought from Tenasee, their chief town, and presented to Sir Alexander, which was of five eagle tails and four scalps of their enemies, Moytoy presented it to Sir Alexander, requesting him, on his arrival at Britain, "to lay it at his majesty's feet."

Six Indian chiefs accompanied Sir Alexander Cumming on his return to England that same year. Noted among these was Atta Kulla Kulla, the Little Carpenter so named for his ability to hammer together difficult agreements. On September 30, 1730, at Dover England, these six chiefs signed a treaty with the British government. This treaty provided "friendship, alliance and commerce." Also, it declared that "the Chain of Friendship" between the King of England and the Cherokee Indians "is like the Sun, which shines here and also upon the great mountains where they live, and equally warms the Hearts of the Indians and of the English." The Indians agreed that their people were "now the children of the King of Great Britain, and he their Father," and that they "must treat the English as Brethren of the same Family, and must be always ready, at the Governor's command, to fight against any nation, whether they be White Men or Indians, who shall dare to molest or hurt the English." An important provision of the treaty, which later was the cause of some ill feeling, declared that "if by any accidental misfortune it should happen, that an Englishman should kill an Indian, the King or Great Man of the Cherokees shall first complain to the English Governor, and the Man who did it shall be punished by the English Laws, as if he bad killed an Englishman; and in the like manner, if an Indian kills an Englishman, the Indian who did it shall be delivered up to the Governor, and he be punished by the same English Law as if he were and Englishman."

1740: A trading path for horsemen was laid out by the Chickamaguans from the new settlement at Augusta Georgia to the towns at the headwaters on the Savannah River thence to the west.

1750: A treaty was made between Colonel Waddell, on behalf of North Carolina, with Atta Culla Culla, or the Little Carpenter, on behalf of the Cherokees, under which treaty Fort Dobbs was built.

On November 24, 1755, a treaty was made by Governor Glenn, of South Carolina, with the Cherokees, by which the Cherokees ceded a large tract of territory to the King of England.

In 1756, a treaty was made between Col. Hugh Waddell, on behalf of North Carolina, and the Cherokee and Catawba Indians.

In 1760, and in 1761, treaties were made with the Cherokees, by authority of South Carolina the first by Colonel Littleton, and the second by Colonel Grant.

The French and Indian War lasted from 1754-1763 when peace was made and France ceded their possessions in Canada and the Ohio Valley. However, both Forts DuQuesne and Quebec had fell under control of the Crown by 1759. Coupled with the weakening of the Chickamaguans by a smallpox epidemic in 1738 or 1739, their lands became the targets of British avarice and after the peace between France and England was concluded a flood of encroachers flowed down the Western slopes of the Appalachians. During this time a rash of land cessions occurred to try and stem this flow but it was to now avail as the thirst for Chickamaguan lands was unquenchable. The Cherokee war lasted from 1760-1761 and campaigns were launched which reduced all the Lower Towns and all 15 of the Middle Towns to ashes as well as destroying their granaries and cornfields, sending the inhabitants fleeing to the mountains for safety.

These campaigns pushed the frontier some 70 miles westward.

Subsequently, Atta Kulla Kulla, in September 1761, went to Charleston and sued for peace.

A force of Virginians, led by Colonel Stephen, had advanced to the Great Island of Holston, Kingsport Tennessee where they met a large delegation of Cherokees. On November 19th 1761, a treaty of peace was concluded. At the request of the Nation, to cement the new friendship, a young officer named Lt. Timberlake remained and accompanied them to their towns where he remained for several months.

An article in a special council held on Tennessee River, March 1, 1757, conveys to Capt. Patrick Jack, of Pennsylvania; "in consideration of $400, a tract of fifteen miles square south of the Tennessee River" in pursuance of this grant a deed was made by Arthur Dobbs, governor of North Carolina, and Atta Kulla Kulla, or the Little Carpenter, half-king of the Cherokees, on behalf of the Cherokee nation. This deed was confirmed by a general council, held in 1762.

1763, Treaty of Augusta: The peace treaty between England and France in 1763 ceded the whole western territory to England. A great council was held at Augusta Georgia with all the chiefs and principal men of the southern nations attending. Captain John Stuart, superintendent for the southern tribes, attended as well as the colonial governors of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,and Georgia. The Nations expressed displeasure of how the treaty between France and England gave their lands to the English but a treaty of mutual peace friendship was signed November 10th, 1763.

1763: A royal proclamation was issued to check future encroachments by the yonegas (whites) and also prohibited future land purchases or any granting of warrants for Indian lands west of the streams flowing into the Alantic.

1768, Treaty of Hard Labor: Superintendent Stuart, at the request of the Nations, negotiated a treaty at Hard Labor North Carolina by which the Kanawha and New Rivers, and their entire courses, downward from the North Carolina line were fixed as the boundary between the yonegas and the Cherokees. Within two years so many whites had illegally settled on Cherokee land that a treaty was made to amend the Hard Labor treaty. By this treaty, the line was changed to run south from the mouth of the Kanawah to the Holston, thus cutting off the Chickamaguans from the whole of their hunting grounds in West Virginia and Virginia. In 1772 the Virginians took another land cession which took everything east of the Kentucky River.

The Treaty of Fort Stanwix. The first general grant of land by 'Indians' within the limits of the present State of Tennessee, was made by the Six Nations in the treaty at Fort Stanwix, concluded November 5, 1768. This treaty conveyed a doubtful claim "the said land from the mouth of the Oyonwayea to the Ohio, shall be the western boundary of the lands of the Six Nations, so that the Six Nations shall and do yield to the United States, all claims to the country west of the said boundary" which was very controversial, affecting not only the Tennessee settlers but presenting a vexatious question to Congress in the adoption of the articles of confederation. Further, the lands west of the 'said boundary' were not Six Nations lands. This clause was inserted by the white negotiators to justify the theft of the land of the Chickamaugans. The Six Nations knew these lands weren't theirs. What was said here was they had no claim to these lands but the whites interpreted, to their benefit, it as selling those lands.

October 14, 1768, the treaty of Hard Labor

Treaty of Lochabar- This treaty was concluded at Lochabar, S.C., October 18, 1770. It conveyed lands in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Leases by the Watauga Association and Jacob Brown- In 1772, the The Watauga Association leased for eight years, from the Cherokees, lands of the Watauga Valley lying along the Watauga River. Payment rendered was $6000 value in blankets, muskets, and other trade goods. and Jacob Brown made a similar lease for lands on the Nollichucky. The boundaries of these two leases are not positively known.

October 10 1774; the Battle of Point Pleasant. Lord Dunmore's War ends when 300 Shawnee led by Cornstalk are forced to withdraw across the Ohio. There are substantial casualties on both sides. Later that same month, Cornstalk meets with colonial officials, pledging friendship and giving up all Shawnee claims to Kentucky. Yet, the Shawnee split in loyalty with many supporting the Chickmaugans against their own people.

Treaty of Sycamore Shoals: Transylvania Purchase March 17, 1775, Richard Henderson and eight other persons, organized as the Transylvania Company, concluded an illegal treaty with the Cherokees, at Sycamore Shoals, on the Watauga. This land cession isolated the Nation from the Ohio Valley and the rich hunting and agricultural lands of Kentucky.

Like many lawyers today, Henderson and his confederates went ahead with their plans to meet the Cherokees in council for the purpose of completing the transaction already agreed upon with the chiefs, by securing ratification of the agreement by the Great Council of the Cherokees and by delivery of the trade goods in payment. This in spite of the proclamations of Royal Governors Dunmore of Virginia and Martin North Carolina declaring the transaction illegal and contrary to English law in February and March 1775. On the 4th of November, 1778 the Virginia House of Delegates declared the Transylvania Purchase void.

By April 1775 the Transylvania Colony had established Fort Boone on Otter Creek, near present day Lexington Kentucky, just below the Kentucky River and soon Fort Boonesborough was built across a lick from Fort Boone. An interesting note, Daniel Boone died and was buried in Missouri. However, because of Fort Boonesborough's tourism interests, he was disinterred and reinterred at Lexington Kentucky.

For merchandise to the amount of $50,000 they purchased all the lands lying between the Kentucky, Ohio, and Cumberland rivers, and extending eastward along the bank of the Holston to the point where it intersects the Virginia line; thence westwardly along that line to the western boundary of the Lochabar Purchase, and north along that boundary to its intersection with Powell Mountain. The treaty embraced two deeds known as the "Path Deed" and the "Great Grant." The main portion lay in Kentucky, a small portion in Virginia, and a portion in Tennessee. The lands acquired by the Transylvania Company stretched from the Kentucky River south to the Cumberland River, a territory encompassing the greater part of the present State of Kentucky plus a size able strip of the present State of Tennessee reaching as far south as Nashville. This was the Great Grant.

As to the Chickmaguans who were the rightful holders of this land, this was a matter of high treachery and deceit on Henderson and his abettor's part. Over 1200 Chickamaugans, half of them men, had gathered to witness their leaders' participation in a Great Council with the representatives of the Transylvania Company and to decide whether or not they would give their approval to the land transaction. The Transylvania Company conspirators falsely represented themselves as representatives of the British government. The principal representatives of the Cherokee Nation at this Council were: Atta-Kulla-Kulla, The Little Carpenter, so called because of his skill in putting together agreements and compromises; Oconistoto, Dragging Canoe, and Savanooko-Coronob, The Raven. Atta kulla kulla was a peace chief and Oconostota a red chief. Dragging Canoe (Tsiyugunini) cautioned his father, Atta Kulla Kulla, his uncle, Oconostota, and the other older chiefs present that this land cession, ultimately pave the way for the extinction of their people. When he found he could not sway the opinion of father or uncle, he told Henderson the area he purchased is a "dark and bloody ground" As to Savanoko-Coronob or the Raven; The Raven was a title, not just a name. It referred to the area War Chief which in this case was Tsal Su Ska or Doublehead. Like his brother Tsiyugunini he vehemently opposed the treaty and also stormed out of the council. So who signed for Doublehead? Obviously, someone with loyalty to the Transylvania Company. Chickamaugan custom was that any such decision must be done by unanimous consent of all 'chiefs'.With the opposition of Tsal Su Ska and Tsiyugunini the land could not be sold according to Chickamaugan law. Further, such treachery by and Chickamaugan leader would be met by death under the 'blood law'. Therefore, it is unlikely that any of the marks were made by Chickamaugans.

Tsiyugunini began by describing the extent and affluence which the Cherokee Nation had once enjoyed. He spoke of the coming of the white man and of his encroachment on the land of the Indians compelling them to move from the home of their ancestors as a result of the never-ending greed of the white people for more land. He voiced the hope of the Indians that the whites would not expand beyond the mountains, but would be satisfied with the lands to the east. That hope had now vanished, he said. The whites had passed beyond the mountains and had occupied Cherokee land and now wished to have their trespasses legalized by the confirmation of a treaty.

Chief Dragging Canoe continued that, "should the occupation be legalized by a treaty, the same spirit of encroachment would only lead the whites to occupy other lands of the Cherokees, new concessions would be demanded and, finally, all of the country which the Cherokees and their forefathers had owned and lived in so long would be demanded of them, and the small remnant remaining of this once great and formidable nation would be compelled to seek homes in some far distant wilderness." Pressing the situation further, Dragging Canoe said that "even in such a remote retreat they could dwell only a short time before the advance of the white man who, being unable to designate a further retreat for the remnant of the Cherokees, would demand the extinction of the entire race." (How true this prophecy.) Thomas Jefferson

Chief Dragging Canoe closed his oration with a strong plea to his people to resist any further encroachment of their territory by the whites, regardless of the consequences.Chief Dragging Canoe, in a burst of anger and frustration, told the representatives of the Transylvania Company that they had made a noble bargain, but their new land would become a "dark and bloody ground." Both Chief Dragging Canoe and Chief Raven (Doublehead), principal representatives of the Cherokee Nation, voiced their opposition strongly, but without success. The continued display of the trade goods, coupled with the skillful contacts made by the employees of the Transylvania Company, such as Daniel Boone, turned the tide and over 1200 Cherokees present agreed to the signing of the Great Grant. It should be noted that the tradition of the Nation required a unanimous consent of all Chiefs before any treaty could be made. The 1200 Cherokees noted as being in attendance consisted of mostly half breeds and frontiersmen and not the Chiefs who could approve such a deed. So, the Great Grant was not legal by Cherokee law, even if the three Chiefs who are said to have signed it did.

The purchase of the Transylvania Company served to extinguish the claims of the Cherokees, but gave rise to a long series of bitter controversies with the authorities of Virginia and North Carolina, and in Congress and the Federal courts. Finally the matter was compromised and Virginia granted the Transylvania Company 200,000 acres of land as compensation for the release of the company's claims.

March 17-18, 1775 The Path Deed Their greed for land still not satisfied, the Transylvania Company made yet another request to the Council. Between the lands already owned by Virginia and the lands covered by the transaction just completed, was a strip of land which still belonged to the Cherokees. Colonel Henderson told the Council that, "I do not love to walk on your land, and I still have a quantity of trade goods which they had not yet seen." For these trade goods, he wished to make an additional purchase of all of the lands lying down the Holston River and between the Watauga purchase and the land they had just agreed to sell to the Transylvania Company. This tract he called the Path and the deed he desired was referred to as the Path Deed.

One of the white visitors to the Council was John Carter, to whom the Cherokees owed between 600 and 700 English pounds. He felt the prospect of payment by the Cherokees was remote. Carter offered to buy from the Cherokees the tract of land for which he would pay them by canceling this debt and furnishing additional trade goods. After some consultation, this offer was refused by the Council. Colonel Henderson then came forward and in his persuasive legal manner offered to destroy the Carter account books containing the signatures of the Cherokees, to give them the goods Carter had offered, and to supply additional trade goods in return for a deed to the pathway. This offer was accepted by the Council, and a deed drawn to cover it, which has, since that time, been known as the Path Deed.

The Watauga Purchases-During the conference at Sycamore Shoals, in March, 1775, the Cherokees made a deed to John Carter and Robert Lucas, conveying lands extending from Cloud's Creek to Chimney Top Mountain, and embracing Carter's Valley, in compensation for the robbery of Parker and Carter's Store by Cherokee Indians, and in further consideration of the payment of a sum of money. Two days later, March 19, a deed was. made conveying in fee simple to Charles Robertson, as trustee for the Watauga Association, the lands on Watauga, which had heretofore been leased, in consideration of "the sum of 2,000, lawful money of Great Britain, in hand paid." This deed is recorded in the register's office of Washington County, Tenn., and prescribes the boundaries of the purchase. It was signed by the following Cherokee chiefs on behalf of the Cherokee nation, viz.: Oconostota, Attacullecully, Tennessy-Warrior, Willinawaugh.

March 25, 1775, two deeds were executed by the Cherokees to Jacob Brown in consideration of 10 shillings. One deed conveyed to him the tract which he had previously leased, and the other deed conveyed an additional tract, known as Brown's Second Purchase.

1777, Treaty of DeWitt's Corner, SC, May 20, 1777: This was the first treaty made with the new states. The Lower Cherokee surrendered all their remaining land in SC, exept for a narrow strip along the western boundary.

1777, Treaty of Long Island, July 20, 1777: Hostilities due to Encroachments of white settlers, and the usual land greed, led to this treaty. A definite boundary was needed or as the Raven said "a wall to the skies". Negotiations began on the 20th of June and ended on July 20th, 1777 with the signing of this treaty. The Middle and Upper Cherokee ceded all lands east of the Blue Ridge and the disputed lands on the Watauga, Nolichucky, upper Holston and New Rivers. Captain James Robertson was appointed agent for the Cherokee with his residence at Echota. He was to watch their movements, recover captured property, and prevent their correspondence with persons unfriendly to the American cause. The whites were very uneasy as Dragging Canoe, Young Tassel, The Raven of Chota, Judge Friend and Lying Fish weren't in attendance and opposed to the treaty. (TREATY)

Treaty of Hopewell or Hawkins' Treaty: The articles of confederation were adopted in 1781 and the control of Indian affairs devolved upon the United States.

May 1783: Partially as a result of white encroachments North Carolina state legislature fixed it's western boundary as follows: "Beginning on the line which divides this State from Virginia, at a point due north of the mouth of Cloud's Creek (the Cloud was Raven and said to be even more ferocious than Dragging Canoe); to the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude; thence due east until it strikes the Appalachian Mountains; thence with the Appalachian Mountains to the ridge that divides the waters of the French Broad River and the waters of the Nollichucky River; and with that ridge until it strikes the line described in the act of 1778, commonly called Brown's line; and with that line and those several water-courses to the begininng."

A tract was reserved for Cherokee hunting grounds:

"Beginning at the Tennessee River where the southern boundary of North Carolina intersects the same, nearest the Chickamaugan Towns; thence up the middle of the Tennessee and Holston Rivers to the middle of French Broad River, which lines are not to include any islands in said river; to the mouth of Big Pigeon River; thence up the same to the head thereof; thence along the dividing ridge between the waters of Pigeon River and Tuskejah River to the southern boundary of this State"

History of Tennessee, Illustrated, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1887

11/28/1785, Treaty of Hopewell (SC): The first treaty between the Cherokee and the new US Government ceding lands in Tennessee and for peace and boundary delineation. Protests were raised by both the whites and the Cherokees. GA and NC protested the action of the commissioners confirming land to the Indians lands which had already been stolen as bounty lands for state troops.

ARTICLE IV.

"The boundary allotted to the Cherokees for their hunting grounds, between the said Indians and the citizens of the United States, within the limits of the United States of America, is, and shall be the following, viz. Beginning at the mouth of Duck river, on the Tennessee; thence running north-east to the ridge dividing the waters running into Cumberland from those running into the Tennessee; thence eastwardly along the said ridge to a north-east line to be run, which shall strike the river Cumberland forty miles above Nashville; thence along the said line to the river; thence up the said river to the ford where the Kentucky road crosses the river; thence to Campbell's line, near Cumberland gap; thence to the mouth of Claud's creek on Holstein; thence to the Chimney-top mountain; thence to Camp-creek, near the mouth of Big Limestone, on Nolichuckey; thence a southerly course six miles to a mountain; thence south to the North Carolina line; thence to the South-Carolina Indian boundary, and along the same south-west over the top of the Oconee mountain till it shall strike Tugaloo river; thence a direct line to the top of the Currohee mountain; thence to the head of the south fork of Oconee river."

(NC MILITARY RESERVATION). The treaty left the Middle and Upper towns, as well as those along the Coosa River, undisturbed. The whole country east of the Blue Ridge, and the Watauga and Cumberland settlements were stolen by the yonegas. This country was under the control of the Lower Towns, or Chickamaguans, led by Dragging Canoe, and was not theirs to sell.

Two treaties were made by the State of Franklin with the Cherokees during its existence

One on the French Broad, near the mouth of Dumplin Creek, May 31, 1785

1786 Treaty of Coyatee: A treaty of peace, love, and brotherly friendship concluded with the Overhill Cherokees. The Tennesseans announced that they had been given that land by NC, against whom they were in organized rebellion against, 'the whole country north of the Tennessee River as far west as the Cumberland Mountain,' and they intended to take it "by the sword, which is the best right to all countries." After the collapse of the short-lived state both these treaties were ignored, and the pioneers who had settled. the country south of the French Broad and Holston adopted rules their own government, and for a time exercised the functions of an independent government.

1786,TREATYwith the Chickasaw: In 1783 an agreement had been made between the Chickasaws and the Cumberland Settlement which gave away all lands from the Cumberland River south to the dividing ridge of the Duck River. This cession was ratified in the treaty of 1786.

Treaty of Tellico Blockhosue, 1791: The State of Georgia deposed a tract of 3.5 million acres lying on the Great Bend of the Tennessee River to the Tennessee Company. This was prohibited by US law. Zachariah Cox and his party built a blockhouse and defenses on an island at Muscle Shoals, near Tuscumbia Alabama, and rigourously courted settlers to locate there. The Glass went to the location and told the invaders to leave or die. Dik-keh Justice, anti-American Chickaugan beloved man intervened asking Glass to spare them which he did. The invaders left and the structures were burnt.

July 2, 1791, Treaty on Holston River (See Also). Obstensibly a peace treaty, it involved the usual land cessions. Of note is that the year before, by deed of cession, Tennessee ceased to be a part of NC. It then became "The Territory of the United States south of the Ohio River" until statehood 6 years later. According to an official report of George Washington over 500 hundred families of intruders were settled upon Cherokee lands. This was in addition to those between the French Broad and the Holston. Over a year before the Secretary of War stated that "the disgraceful violation of the Treaty of Hopewell with the Cherokee requires the serious consideration of Congress." It took much persuasion to get the Cherokee to cede this triangular section of land. This section in Tennessee and NC extended from the Clinch River almost to the Blue Ridge and included nearly the whole of the French Broad and the lower Holston. This area encompassed the present cities of Knoxville Tn., Greenville Tn., and Asheville NC. However, this area, and considerable territory adjacent to it, was already inhabited by white intruders. The Cherokee hope, and white promise, was that this would set a permanent barrier between them and the whites. For the land ceded the Cherokees were to receive an annuity of $1,000, some extra goods and some assistance on the road to civilization. Also, permission was obtained for a road from the eastern settlements to the Cumberland (Cumberland Road, Avery Trace) and free navigation of the Tennessee River.

Cherokee dissatisfaction with the land cessions and renewed hostilities with tribes in the Ohio Valley, and of course the need for Cherokee warriors, led to a supplementary article which increased the annuity to $8500 and forestalling the survey of the new boundary until 1797. Also see Treaty of 1794

LINKS FOR THE FOLLOWING TREATIES

June 26, 1794, at Philadelphia

October 2, 1798, at Tellico

October 24, 1804, at Tellico

October 25, 1805, at Tellico

October 27, 1805, at Tellico

January 7, 1806, at Washington

September 11, 1807

August 9, 1814, referred to

March 22, 1816, at Washington

September 14, 1816, at Chickasaw Council House

July 8, 1817, at Cherokee Agency

February 27, 1819, at Washington

May 6, 1828, at Washington and amended

February 14, 1833, at Fort Gibson

March 14, 1835, unratified

August 24, 1835 at Camp Holmes

December 29, 1835, Treaty at New Echota Georgia

As a result of this treaty, The Trail of Tears (the Cherokees called it Nunna daul Tsuny, "Trail Where We Cried") came in 1838, when Federal troops and Georgia militia removed the holdout tribe members to Indian Territory (about 1,000 avoided capture by hiding in the mountains). Many thousands of Cherokees have died from disease, hunger, cold and deliberate brutality by volunteer Georgia troops and regulars led General Winfield Scott and others.

Major Ridge, John Ridge and the Watie brothers (Stand Watie and Elias Boudinot) were the only prominent Cherokees to sign the Treaty of New Echota, in Georgia. About 300 to 500 people or about 3 percent of the tribe came to the signing place. Only about 80 to 100 people present were eligible to vote. Ross and the legitimate council were nowhere near.

The treaty was roundly denounced by such unlikely allies as Davy Crockett and Daniel Webster. Cherokees in the East had to leave the Southeast in return for a payment of $15 million and 800,000 acres in Indian Territory (in what would become northeastern Oklahoma and part of Kansas). The Cherokees were to be removed within two years. The Ridge-Watie faction ("treaty party") thought the terms generous--that they had gotten a good price. Whether or not the terms were generous, the treaty was a disgrace, as it was opposed by some 90 percent of the tribe. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the treaty invalid, but defying treaties forced on the Cherokee through torture and coercion, defying the laws passed by the US Congress, defying the Supreme Court, United States President Andrew Jackson said of the Chief Justice Marshall's ruling to stop molesting the Native People:

"John Marshall has made his law let him enforce it." A pattern of defial of US Law that Tennessee continues today, unless those laws profit the powers that be. Ross and his "anti-treaty party" fought a losing court battle, and they were not well-prepared for removal when it began. The Ridge-Watie parties had been among the first to depart to the new country, arriving in 1837. They had gone in comfort and had located themselves on choice Indian Territory land. Because most of the Cherokees who followed suffered during the migration and after their arrival in the West, resentment against the Ridges and Waties grew.

March 1, 1836, supplementary

August 6, 1846, at Washington

September 13, 1865, at Fort Smith (unratified)

July 19, 1866, at Washington supplemented

April 27, 1868

Western Band, treaty of May 6, 1828, at Washington

February 14, 1833

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